Oil Spill from Cargo Ship Refueling... Changwon Coast Guard Controls Spill After 11 Hours

Oil adsorbent material is spread inside the oil fence installed around the accident vessel.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station]

At around 1:46 a.m. on the 1st, oil leaked from a 20,000-ton Hong Kong-registered cargo ship anchored near Pier 4 of Masanhappo-gu, Masan Port, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, and the Coast Guard completed emergency containment after 11 hours.

According to the Changwon Maritime Police Station, the vessel A was receiving ultra-low sulfur C heavy fuel oil, a type of fuel oil, from a 200-ton Korean-registered refueling ship when the fuel overflowed through the air vent (air circulation passage).

Upon receiving the report, the Changwon Coast Guard dispatched containment boats, patrol vessels, the Changwon Coast Guard rescue team, and the Masan Police Station coastal rescue boat to the accident site.

Changwon Coast Guard is checking the amount of spilled oil and the extent of the spill.
[Photo by Changwon Coast Guard]

Immediately upon arrival at the scene, oil fences were installed around 200 meters surrounding the vessel to prevent the spread of the oil, and containment materials such as oil absorbents were used to remove the oil.

The containment operation, involving six vessels and 53 personnel, was completed around 12:30 p.m. that day, and the investigation found that approximately 150 liters of oil had leaked.

The Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact cause of the accident and whether there was any violation of the Marine Environment Management Act by the parties related to vessel A.

A representative of the Changwon Coast Guard stated, "When refueling, thorough caution must be taken to prevent oil from overflowing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.